A FORMER York policeman wept in the dock as he was jailed for leading police firearms officers on a car chase while naked at the wheel.

Andy Stuart Easterby, 30, drove his girlfriend’s Peugeot 307 with smoking tyres at 3am after having sex in the car, York Crown Court heard today.

Chris Smith, prosecuting, said that after twice going through No Entry signs, driving the wrong way down several one-way streets, and turning off his headlights to evade detection, Easterby was caught crouching behind a wheelie bin “sporting nothing but a pair of shoes and socks.”

It was the second time he had broken the law - in 2009, he was banned from driving for a year after he was caught drink-driving.

Judge Stephen Ashurst told the former Westfield Neighbourhood Police team member: “This is a difficult day, I know, for you. I have to take account not only of the strong personal mitigation in your case, but also the public interest in seeking to deter people from driving dangerously, particularly when they are pursued by police, where the sensible course is to stop.”

Mr Smith said “eagle-eyed” CCTV operators had tipped off police something was amiss when they spotted that Easterby was naked as he drove through Scarborough town centre at 3am on April 25. The firearms officers, who were on duty in the town, tried to stop him, but he drove off at speed. Twice he managed to evade them but he was caught after he left the car.

The court heard the former policeman and his partner had decided to have sex in the car at the end of a day trip to Scarborough, shortly before the naked driving.

Easterby, now of Leeds, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was jailed for six months. He was also banned from driving for three years and ordered to retake his driving test.

His barrister Chris Moran said: “Two times in his life he has done something reckless, stupid and impulsive and both times he has paid a considerable price for it.”

Following his drink-drive conviction, he was forced to resign from the police after eight years in the job that had been his childhood dream. He had just taken the sergeants’ exam.

This time he would face the shame of his friends, family and new work colleagues knowing about his late-night naked driving.